korean dramas
Should dramas lower the pay of actors?
Article: [Mini-Issue] Stars' pay make up half the production costs...
Source: KBS via Naver
PD Kim Jong Hak's suicide (as well as the suicide of two other PDs prior to him) is bringing light to the darker side of the issues surrounding drama productions. One of the points the article talks about is that the Hallyu wave and the drama boom has put a lot of focus on casting 'top stars' for high prices and cutting costs elsewhere (staff pay) to be able to cast them. In the end, half of the production costs end up going towards paying the stars, an unnatural balance compared to American and Japanese productions.
1. [+1,572, -33] There definitely needs to be a limit set on pay. Son Hyun Joo and other veteran actors still don't make $10,000 an episode and yet all these bubble idols receive $20-30,000 an episode which doesn't make sense at all. Director Kim Jong Hak's productions were also in the reds because of the star pays, I'm sure of it because Bae Yong Jun made $200,000 an episode in 'The Legend' as well as 'Faith'. The cycle will just repeat itself is a limit isn't drawn.
2. [+1,377, -13] It really pisses me off when stars receive way too much pay than they deserve and then complain about how they're forced to memorize scripts the day of recordings or how the filming environment is poor. I'm pretty sure environments can be improved if they lowered their pay and spent it towards that.
3. [+1,185, -12] This is why Korea doesn't produce well made dramas... Half of the production costs go to the actors when it should be spent on improving the drama's production environment. There's a reason why there's an increasing fanbase of American drama fans.
4. [+999, -11] Actors need to have their pay checks cut. It's ridiculous that an actor's pay for one episode is greater than its actual production cost. They shouldn't be paid this much unless they're starring in some Hollywood movie. Staffs are always paid the same amount while actors' increase. Good dramas aren't considered good because they use highly paid actors. Look at the success of 'I Hear Your Voice' and 'The Chaser'. Do you even know how much Son Hyun Joo was paid?
5. [+936, -50] Of course such a result will inevitably happen when idols with crappy acting like Yoona and Suzy are paid $10,000 an episode while veteran actors like Son Hyun Joo are paid $6,000 an episode. If idols make that much, then imagine how much actual stars are paid... This is ridiculous.
6. [+737, -139] Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun are responsible for Kim Jong Hak PD's death as well. Lee Min Ho was cast for his Hallyu star status but reality was that he wasn't a Hallyu star at all. The drama did poorly in international sales and aired on some no name Japanese cable channel before going in the reds, proving that Lee Min Ho's international recognition level is less than that of a rookie idol. 'Faith' failing had a lot to do with driving him to suicide... Failed in Korea's viewer ratings, failed even harder internationally.
7. [+561, -6] It's no longer true that having a top star in your drama will guarantee you viewer ratings
8. [+560, -8] The bubble of Korean dramas has been popped. Aside from 'I Hear Your Voice', all of the dramas are trailing at single digit viewer ratings. Hallyu dramas have all had their bubbles popped as well and are no longer being exported overseas unless it's on some weird internet site or Japan's KNTV. Fuji TV used to have a Hallyu Alpha program for Japanese ajummas who like Korean dramas but that was eventually taken off air because the viewer ratings sucked. Korean dramas are always the same plot with low viewer ratings and yet actors are still receiving high pay ㅋㅋ
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Source: KBS via Naver
PD Kim Jong Hak's suicide (as well as the suicide of two other PDs prior to him) is bringing light to the darker side of the issues surrounding drama productions. One of the points the article talks about is that the Hallyu wave and the drama boom has put a lot of focus on casting 'top stars' for high prices and cutting costs elsewhere (staff pay) to be able to cast them. In the end, half of the production costs end up going towards paying the stars, an unnatural balance compared to American and Japanese productions.
1. [+1,572, -33] There definitely needs to be a limit set on pay. Son Hyun Joo and other veteran actors still don't make $10,000 an episode and yet all these bubble idols receive $20-30,000 an episode which doesn't make sense at all. Director Kim Jong Hak's productions were also in the reds because of the star pays, I'm sure of it because Bae Yong Jun made $200,000 an episode in 'The Legend' as well as 'Faith'. The cycle will just repeat itself is a limit isn't drawn.
2. [+1,377, -13] It really pisses me off when stars receive way too much pay than they deserve and then complain about how they're forced to memorize scripts the day of recordings or how the filming environment is poor. I'm pretty sure environments can be improved if they lowered their pay and spent it towards that.
3. [+1,185, -12] This is why Korea doesn't produce well made dramas... Half of the production costs go to the actors when it should be spent on improving the drama's production environment. There's a reason why there's an increasing fanbase of American drama fans.
4. [+999, -11] Actors need to have their pay checks cut. It's ridiculous that an actor's pay for one episode is greater than its actual production cost. They shouldn't be paid this much unless they're starring in some Hollywood movie. Staffs are always paid the same amount while actors' increase. Good dramas aren't considered good because they use highly paid actors. Look at the success of 'I Hear Your Voice' and 'The Chaser'. Do you even know how much Son Hyun Joo was paid?
5. [+936, -50] Of course such a result will inevitably happen when idols with crappy acting like Yoona and Suzy are paid $10,000 an episode while veteran actors like Son Hyun Joo are paid $6,000 an episode. If idols make that much, then imagine how much actual stars are paid... This is ridiculous.
6. [+737, -139] Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun are responsible for Kim Jong Hak PD's death as well. Lee Min Ho was cast for his Hallyu star status but reality was that he wasn't a Hallyu star at all. The drama did poorly in international sales and aired on some no name Japanese cable channel before going in the reds, proving that Lee Min Ho's international recognition level is less than that of a rookie idol. 'Faith' failing had a lot to do with driving him to suicide... Failed in Korea's viewer ratings, failed even harder internationally.
7. [+561, -6] It's no longer true that having a top star in your drama will guarantee you viewer ratings
8. [+560, -8] The bubble of Korean dramas has been popped. Aside from 'I Hear Your Voice', all of the dramas are trailing at single digit viewer ratings. Hallyu dramas have all had their bubbles popped as well and are no longer being exported overseas unless it's on some weird internet site or Japan's KNTV. Fuji TV used to have a Hallyu Alpha program for Japanese ajummas who like Korean dramas but that was eventually taken off air because the viewer ratings sucked. Korean dramas are always the same plot with low viewer ratings and yet actors are still receiving high pay ㅋㅋ
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